Boyfriend's New Tank

[pyrofishtoo]

And this is where you stop listening to this guy.

Good luck. This is a great example of where buying a book and reading it becomes a great investment.

 

[onidrase]

And this is where you stop listening to this guy.

Good luck. This is a great example of where buying a book and reading it becomes a great investment.

People keep RTBS with oscars all the time. As well as smaller cichlids like convicts, firemouths, and the like which are of similar size, not to mention not as tough in the noggin as a catfish. It would be fine, if the tank was big enough for an oscar, which it's not. They need 75 gallons at the least. Preferably more.

 

[MisssMarie]

Okay. So, here's what i like so far:
-RTBS (a must)
-Salvini Cichilid (interested)

how many salvini should i get? What else can i add? What would be a good cleaner type fish? Can i get a cleaner type fish? Like an algea eater? I use oto in all my tanks, because i have small tanks, is there anything we can put in there?

 

[onidrase]

Okay. So, here's what i like so far:
-RTBS (a must)
-Salvini Cichilid (interested)

how many salvini should i get? What else can i add? What would be a good cleaner type fish? Can i get a cleaner type fish? Like an algea eater? I use oto in all my tanks, because i have small tanks, is there anything we can put in there?

Only 1 salvini. I'm also going to have to advise against the RTBS, unless you get a 4 foot rather than a 3 foot.

From my understanding, Salvinis are somewhat less aggressive than other cichlids, but they defend an area of the tank religiously, they don't do much pursuing, but having more than one could lead to a lot of aggression against each other for territory.

You could aim for a bristlenose or similarly sized pleco. No on Oto's if he wants bigger fish, I'd be worried that they'd be food due to their small size.

A large school of tiger barbs would work with a salvini, too. They're my favorite schooling type fish. Bulky, quick, curious, and feisty. They will limit you in tank mates, though. Too pretty much nothing but things that can beat them up.

 

[eaglesaquarium]

Tiger barbs are always popular. If you want to stay away from red altogether, look at gold barbs which aren't as aggressive but will do fine. You can also look at zebra danio's or harliquin rasporas. Just get a school of eight+. You will appreciate them more in a larger group.
Not sure what cichlids are available in your neck of the woods but look for some rainbow cichlids Herotilapia (multispinosa), firemouths (Thorichthys meeki)or Salvini Cichlid (Nandopsis Salvini)

I wouldn't put harlequin rasboras with a RTBS!

 

[Man of fish]

Tiger barbs are always popular. If you want to stay away from red altogether, look at gold barbs which aren't as aggressive but will do fine. You can also look at zebra danio's or harliquin rasporas. Just get a school of eight+. You will appreciate them more in a larger group.
Not sure what cichlids are available in your neck of the woods but look for some rainbow cichlids Herotilapia (multispinosa), firemouths (Thorichthys meeki)or Salvini Cichlid (Nandopsis Salvini)

I wouldn't put harlequin rasboras with a RTBS!

+1 I totally agree. They are very peaceful fish that may get beat to death? (help me out on this) they are also ratter small and wouldn't go well with those tank mates.

 

[onidrase]

Tiger barbs are always popular. If you want to stay away from red altogether, look at gold barbs which aren't as aggressive but will do fine. You can also look at zebra danio's or harliquin rasporas. Just get a school of eight+. You will appreciate them more in a larger group.
Not sure what cichlids are available in your neck of the woods but look for some rainbow cichlids Herotilapia (multispinosa), firemouths (Thorichthys meeki)or Salvini Cichlid (Nandopsis Salvini)

I wouldn't put harlequin rasboras with a RTBS!

+1 I totally agree. They are very peaceful fish that may get beat to death? (help me out on this) they are also ratter small and wouldn't go well with those tank mates.

They'll get eaten. RTBS eat fish small enough to fit in their mouths, which includes most danios and rasboras.

 

[MisssMarie]

Alright, so, no danios or rasboras. Only things i know for sure then are:
1 RTBS
1 Salvina

How many tiger barbs should i get?

I'll work on getting us a 4' long tank ASAP definitley!

 

[Tizer]

This to me sounds like a nightmare waiting to happen and for that reason, im out.

 

[Hermithall]

How many of those giving advice actually own or have owned and cared for a RTBS I wonder? There are a quite a few peculiar affirmations flying about here! RTBS will swallow danios, really? The RTBS is a grazing fish with a small downward facing mouth, who is actually an exceptionally poor hunter of live fish! RTBS aggression manifests itself as chasing with only moderate fin nipping (because of it's mouth position)until the target fish is cornered and exhausted, upon which point the redtail may harrass the fish tirelessly by twitching and bumping against it until the victim summons the energy to flee again, instigating another chase. Stress kills, and it goes on perpetually until the victim succumbs.
The RTBS has a very well deserved reputation for being aggressive, but like most fish there is a huge range for personality variation among individuals. While one RTBS may tolerate certain species of tankmates, another will not - so you simply cannot generalise with certainty about their behaviour with specific fish. Experimentaion is the only way to establish suitable tankmates for your RTBS, ideally in a practical situation where you have multiple tanks, because without the facilities to promptly remove any fish that the RTBS shows aggression towards, you will quickly face a deterioratingly bad situation. I've tried various tankmates with mine and in my own experience my RTBS would not tolerate the company of tiger barbs, trichogaster gouramis, firemouth cichlids or red rainbowfish (and many others), but has been fine in the past with a zebra danio school and suprisingly to me, an angelfish!
He is currently sharing his tank space peacefully with 2 bristlenose plecs and a bunch of corys. Interestingly he seems to have no issue with bottom dwelling species, but another RTBS might well have the polar opposite attitude. I suspect the general idea that the RTBS will attack anything of similar shape and colour to itself to be a myth, or semi-truth at best; it's way more random than that.
It's worth noting, the RTBS will likely be friendly to all other fish as a juvenile, including it's own kind, and will gradually become aggressive as it matures. You could a juvie in a community tank as a grow-out fish with a view to moving it into another tank later on. Again, without the options yielded by access to multiple tanks, keeping an RTBS with other fish is always going to be very prone to mishap.
Juveniles are active, occupying open tank spaces and swimming all around the water column, bur a mature rtbs (only 5 inches long) is actually a very inanimated fish when it is content in it's surroundings. A main requirement is a provided cave; and only moderate territorial space to be occupied around it is needed. They do not zoom around the tank at high speeds, rather they cruise the space around their cave whilst grazing the substrate or in fact most often than not they spend the bulk of their time resting inside the cave. To all intents I find a 3 foot 40 gallon tank with minimal tankmates to be adequate housing for my rtbs - don't go under 40 gallons though.
I heard someone call the RTBS an "evil, evil fish" a while ago - silly statement really. No such thing as a bad fish, just bad owners.

Pic: my rtbs "Robert" is visible to the far left at his cave entrance.

 

[Proxo]

Isn't the salvini going to be more of a problem with tank mates then the RTBS, esp in a 3ft tank?

 

[twodoctors]

If you get a medium size cichlid then barbs are out because they will get eaten. I had a 2.5" ND swallow a 1.5" tiger barb whole overnight.

I won't say more about RTBS as i's a must. With it, I wouldn't get any other bottom dweller. I don't know much about salvini, but I think a pair of medium size cichlid and the RTBS and you are done.

My 2p (cent).

Adrian

 

[holidayinn]

Salvini is an aggressive CA cichlid, would advise against any further cichlid tankmates if you plan to keep a Salvini in a 3 footer.

I agree with most of Hermithalls above post, I've kept a rainbow shark, which is supposed to be less aggressive in nature, but that still stalked my clown loaches far too much, have to disagree tho with a 3 foot tank, imo its too small.

 

[MisssMarie]

How many of those giving advice actually own or have owned and cared for a RTBS I wonder? There are a quite a few peculiar affirmations flying about here! RTBS will swallow danios, really? The RTBS is a grazing fish with a small downward facing mouth, who is actually an exceptionally poor hunter of live fish! RTBS aggression manifests itself as chasing with only moderate fin nipping (because of it's mouth position)until the target fish is cornered and exhausted, upon which point the redtail may harrass the fish tirelessly by twitching and bumping against it until the victim summons the energy to flee again, instigating another chase. Stress kills, and it goes on perpetually until the victim succumbs.
The RTBS has a very well deserved reputation for being aggressive, but like most fish there is a huge range for personality variation among individuals. While one RTBS may tolerate certain species of tankmates, another will not - so you simply cannot generalise with certainty about their behaviour with specific fish. Experimentaion is the only way to establish suitable tankmates for your RTBS, ideally in a practical situation where you have multiple tanks, because without the facilities to promptly remove any fish that the RTBS shows aggression towards, you will quickly face a deterioratingly bad situation. I've tried various tankmates with mine and in my own experience my RTBS would not tolerate the company of tiger barbs, trichogaster gouramis, firemouth cichlids or red rainbowfish (and many others), but has been fine in the past with a zebra danio school and suprisingly to me, an angelfish!
He is currently sharing his tank space peacefully with 2 bristlenose plecs and a bunch of corys. Interestingly he seems to have no issue with bottom dwelling species, but another RTBS might well have the polar opposite attitude. I suspect the general idea that the RTBS will attack anything of similar shape and colour to itself to be a myth, or semi-truth at best; it's way more random than that.
It's worth noting, the RTBS will likely be friendly to all other fish as a juvenile, including it's own kind, and will gradually become aggressive as it matures. You could a juvie in a community tank as a grow-out fish with a view to moving it into another tank later on. Again, without the options yielded by access to multiple tanks, keeping an RTBS with other fish is always going to be very prone to mishap.
Juveniles are active, occupying open tank spaces and swimming all around the water column, bur a mature rtbs (only 5 inches long) is actually a very inanimated fish when it is content in it's surroundings. A main requirement is a provided cave; and only moderate territorial space to be occupied around it is needed. They do not zoom around the tank at high speeds, rather they cruise the space around their cave whilst grazing the substrate or in fact most often than not they spend the bulk of their time resting inside the cave. To all intents I find a 3 foot 40 gallon tank with minimal tankmates to be adequate housing for my rtbs - don't go under 40 gallons though.
I heard someone call the RTBS an "evil, evil fish" a while ago - silly statement really. No such thing as a bad fish, just bad owners.

Pic: my rtbs "Robert" is visible to the far left at his cave entrance.

View attachment 65441

Thank you so much for the help!! I greatly appreciate it!! Do you mind if once we get the shark, we ask you a few questions if we have them??

And so, apparently the salvini is out. Thanks

 

[twodoctors]

Go to your LFS and see what cichlids they have and report back. I'm sure someone here can help you.

Adrian